Usually, the term ‘coming of age’ sounds like some lame book definition of when you get old enough to do something like vote, drink, etc. In its cinematic depiction however, it’s less concerned with age restrictions and more to do with the getting of life lessons such as dealing with first love, finding direction, breaking away from childhood or childhood friends.

It’s the perfect journey to be explored in cinema, which is probably why it’s been such a popular topic over the last few decades. Since the boom of ‘teen’ film in the 1980s, the depiction of adolescence has changed dramatically, evolving into something that’s not restricted to teenagers, played for tears as well as laughs, and generally a lot more daring than the John Hughes films we all thought defined ‘growing up’. Of course, his influence lives on, but never one to be predictable, we’ve made 15 suggestions for films you may want to watch/rewatch instead.

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